Pre-College Oboe & Bassoon

June 16-22

For students completing grades 8-12.

Designed for high school oboe and bassoon students, this program focuses on strengthening musicianship and fundamental techniques. Classes include technique and repertoire sessions, masterclasses, individual practice, large and small ensemble rehearsals, and daily seminars including topics such as orchestral excerpts, reed making, and college audition preparation. Students are exposed to a wide range of repertoire and gain perspective on all facets of Oboe & Bassoon practice and performance. New to the program this year, oboists and bassoonists will have the opportunity to perform in woodwind quintets, double reed ensembles, and woodwind chamber ensembles coached by ISYM faculty members as part of the ISYM Pre-College Academy.

Learning to make your own reeds is an important skill to develop as a double reed player. For those just starting out with reedmaking, ISYM has complete reedmaking kits available for rent during the week. The cost is $25 and includes tools and consumable supplies such as staples and cane. All students are encouraged to bring what tools and supplies they already have.

Here is what a typical day in the Pre-College Double Reed program will look like:

Oboe

John Dee, University of Illinois

John Dee is the Bill A. Nugent Endowed Professor of Music Performance and Professor of Oboe at the University of Illinois. He was principal oboe of the Florida Philharmonic Orchestra and Florida Grand Opera for over twenty years and also Oboe Professor at the University of Miami and the Harid Conservatory of Music. His teachers include; June Wollwage and Gladys Elliot of the Lyric Opera Orchestra, Daniel Stolper at Interlochen, Robert Mayer, Michael Henoch and Ray Still of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Northwestern University, and John Mack of the Cleveland Orchestra and Cleveland Institute of Music.

Bassoon

Timothy McGovern, The University of Illinois

In addition to his appointment as Associate Professor of Bassoon at the University of Illinois, Timothy McGovern is currently Principal Bassoonist with the Illinois Symphony Orchestra and Illinois Chamber Orchestra and a member of the Prairie Winds Woodwind Quintet. He was Associate Principal Bassoon of the Montrèal Symphony Orchestra and Principal Bassoon of the Montrèal Symphonette, McGill Chamber Orchestra and Ravinia Festival Orchestra. His bassoon teachers included L. Hugh Cooper, Sherman Walt, Willard Elliot, Wilbur Simpson and Ronald Noble. During the spring term of 2008, Professor McGovern was a Visiting Associate Professor of Bassoon at Indiana University. He has also been a faculty member at McGill University, the University of Delaware and St. Cloud State University. He attended Northwestern University and the University of Michigan and is the recipient of two Tanglewood Music Center Fellowships.